


Smile

by Apetslife



Category: Popslash
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-03
Updated: 2012-02-03
Packaged: 2017-10-30 13:03:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/332011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Apetslife/pseuds/Apetslife
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JC goes to a Backstreet Boys show.  Afterwards, there is karaoke.  And Nick thinks JC is so pretty.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smile

  
It's all wonderfully familiar and right, the way they all rush off stage together, tangles of arms and feet and laughing and hugs. Nick's pretty sure his face might freeze like this if he smiles any longer or any bigger, but he just can't stop, hasn't been able to since the beginning of the tour. His tour with his brothers in his band and he whoops and picks Howie up, jogging down the hall towards the dressing rooms.

"Holy shit, Nick, put me down!" Howie's voice is breathless with laughing in his ear. "I'm gonna puke!"

"You never puke," Nick reminds him, but sets him down more or less gently on the couch, twirls twice in place, and collapses backwards into an armchair. "We were on FIRE tonight!"

"Yeah we were." Brian's beaming at him from the makeup chairs, wiping down with a towel, letting an assistant pull his mic and pack off him. "That was nice, that thing you did with the guitar, Nick, that was new! Where'd you--"

"And oh my god, AJ, I can't believe he gave--oh, hey, AJ." All eyes swing to the door at Howie's words, and Nick sees, wow. AJ, he expected, but AJ with an arm slung over the shoulders of JC Chasez, well.

"Hey, JC," Kevin can be gracious when he tries, and he strolls over with a hand extended. "You sounded good. You ever decide you want a job, we could sub you in for AJ here any time."

The whole room freezes at that, and Nick holds his breath. There are just _so many ways_ that could be taken wrong, by JC or AJ or anyone, and this all sometimes feels so fragile still--

JC giggles, light and high, shaking his head and clasping Kevin's hand. "I'm all set, thanks. I didn't really think I was gonna be singing tonight, but man, AJ McLean shoves a microphone in your face, you don't say no, right? And I totally knew the words, too, so it wasn't too embarrassing."

"Just doing my little part for band relations," AJ says smugly over Kevin's disbelieving snort and Brian's laughter and Howie's 'oh my god, you two didn't PLAN that?' and Nick just watches, fascinated.

***

AJ says "karaoke" and JC says "yeah, 'cause you guys didn't just sing _enough_ " and Nick manages to let everyone know that he'll _die_ if he doesn't get sushi, before leaving them to work it out. He wanders over by Howie and rests his chin on his head, knowing how irritating that is. But Howie just lets him, this time, without even trying to elbow him in the guts. He stares at JC and AJ. It seems wrong to see JC looking so calm and neat and non-sweaty, next to the still wildly amped AJ. Nick's seen JC after performances. This just seems weird.

"What's going on, Nicky?" Howie's checking text messages, as far as Nick can tell.

"Nothin'. I stink, I need a shower."

"You smell like roses to me, baby." Howie bats ridiculous lashes at him, and Nick laughs, then sighs, looking over towards JC. Howie's eyes follow his, and then he groans. "Nick, no."

"What?"

"Nicky, NO. Come on."

"WHAT? I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Haven't you two, like, slept with some of the same people? I'm pretty sure there's some kind of rule about that, like, you should stay far away."

"I have no idea what you're talking about. You're just strange, Howie, I think you're going crazy." When Howie just rolls his eyes, Nick sighs again and tugs one of his curls. "He cut his hair. I liked it longer."

"I'm sure he'll take that into consideration when making his next styling choice," Howie answers dryly, going back to his text messenger. "Anyway, what's he doing here?"

"In New York? Recording I think, and I bet he came 'cause AJ asked him to." Nick keeps an eye on them as discreetly as he can. "Do you think...?"

"No," Brian puts in from the other side of Howie. "The world hasn't exploded in an overload of tacky jewelry and bad hats yet, so I don't think. Anyway, AJ said he had to ask him about some dog thing, charity thing, with Lance."

Nick giggles. "Dude, harsh."

"But so true."

"Is AJ after _Lance?_ " Brian sounds deeply curious, and leans close to get in on the conversation, looking to Howie as the guru of all things gay, as usual.

"Who knows. God bless him if he is, though, that boy's famous. And not just for the singing and the dancing and the space thing." Howie snaps his messenger shut, and stands up. "Okay, we've gotta get back to the hotel before we do anything else, 'cause Nicky, man, you reek."

"I thought I smelled like roses?"

"Skunk roses," Kevin opines, and then stands still and laughs and lets Nick smack him with a pillow.

***

It's New York, so of course there's a place where there is sushi AND karaoke, all at once. They can't get it privately reserved on such short notice, but Nick still desperately wants to go, and AJ's always up for anything that keeps him busy and away from hotel mini-bars, and JC seems to be drifting along after AJ wherever he goes. Nick wonders if maybe he's a little lonely. A couple of ball caps and their most blend-able bodyguard and the three of them are on their way.

It's up some stairs and around a few corners, and when they finally reach the place it looks like a regular little Japanese restaurant, sushi bar and tatami mats and all, and the hostess clearly has no idea who they are. But she waves them through another door when JC says "karaoke," and there's a row of long tables and a man setting up a microphone and monitor on a stage.

"Oh my god, this is awesome," AJ says admiringly, and gets them a table. "Nick, I dare you."

"No." Nick's looking at the menu, and NOT looking at JC, and wondering if he can get away with ordering one of everything. "I'm not gonna, AJ."

"C'mon."

"What?" JC sounds wildly curious, and Nick finally risks a glance at him, and JC's looking at _him_ , and his eyes are really really blue.

"Every time we go to karaoke, Howie or AJ, they dare me to sing that Eminem song, you know, that one from the movie? Lose Yourself, that one. And I'm so not gonna, because I'd die."

"Nah. You could do it." JC's grinning into his soda. "I mean, nobody does karaoke to sound _good._ "

"I always sound good," AJ declares, earning him a spitball from Nick and a laugh from JC.

"YOU do the damn song then," Nick challenges, and AJ cocks his head, looks at him, grins.

"Maybe I will." JC hoots and pounds the table, and AJ's grin gets bigger. "Mr. Chasez here already performed tonight--"

"Like I didn't?"

"--don't interrupt, Nicky. So here's the deal. You sing one of their songs, any one you want, and I'll do Lose Yourself and stop buggin' you about it, okay?"

Nick's in agony. Sing an N Sync song, right here and right now, with the very pretty and talented JC Chasez _watching_ him? Hell, JC wrote half their songs, Nick thinks, and with his luck he'll pick one of those and totally fuck it up and offend him, or something. But JC is beaming at AJ like it's the best idea _ever_ , and Nick knows a real challenge when he sees one (and this one is all over AJ's face), and he has to nod.

Later, Nick is belting out "This I Promise You," waving his beer in the air for emphasis and even going to his knees at one point, and most of the crowd is cheering wildly and one asshole is heckling. He glances over at JC, who's staring at him and laughing and clapping, and he goes warm all the way through.

***

An incoherent shout, and there's someone slamming into Nick's back and he stumbles forward, bouncing off the railing and spinning just in time to see the guy take a swing at JC. JC ducks it and then Nick's right there, in between them, standing up just as tall as he can and staring down at the really drunk guy, who thumps a weak fist into Nick's chest that Nick can barely feel. Aaron hits him harder than that.

"Fucker!" AJ shouts from off to the side, and then there's a whirlwind scuffle, and Nick thinks deliriously that it would be just too fucking funny if they got into a brawl at a _karaoke sushi bar_ , with some dude who's been heckling them since AJ's total butchering of "Lose Yourself." Frank the bodyguard is there, he's got the guy but there's still a lurch and shove of the crowd of people that have gathered in the hall by the stairs.

"Out, down the stairs," JC's saying in Nick's ear, and Nick nods, turns, gets JC in front of him and a hand on his waist and then they're jogging down the stairs, AJ and Frank behind them, and out the door into the cold city night. For some reason, Nick can't stop laughing.

"You just had to heckle him back, huh?" AJ's grinning too, wide and a little wild, and pokes JC in the shoulder as they move towards the limo.

"I was just defending my man Billy," JC protests, climbing into the limo all lanky legs and grace. "I mean, I don't think "New York State of Mind" is supposed to change key even once, much less six or seven times."

"Nah, once, I think," Nick giggles. "Still."

"It's the principle," JC agrees, and then, "Hey, I'm staying up at Trump. You guys wanna come back?"

Nick bites his tongue, still jumping with adrenaline and the feel of JC's waist under his hand. Avoiding AJ's eyes, avoiding looking at anything as he answers. "Yeah, sounds good. We're not outta here till tomorrow afternoon anyway, Kristin wants to shop. Um."

"You can drop me at the Chelsea," AJ says, voice as dry as the desert. If Nick looks at him he just knows he'll see a shit-eating smirk on his face, so he doesn't. "I gotta call a guy about a dog."

"Oh! Oh yeah, Lance should be back by now." And JC's off and running, talking with AJ about some kind of dog rescue charity thing that Lance is really into, and wants AJ to help with maybe, only for some reason known only to Lance he won't call AJ directly about it. Whatever, Nick thinks, and sits back and watches lights from the traffic flicker and change across JC's face.

***

They're barely out of the elevator and Nick's hands are itching, aching, have been since he pressed up against JC on the stairs at the karaoke bar and his skin got a foretaste of what it might get to feel later. They're talking about something, he's honestly not sure what, and he just hopes he doesn't sound like an idiot, whatever he's saying. Through the lush hallway and to the door and JC glances at him, sidelong and sly, and Nick stops talking.

JC hits the door with a really satisfying thud when Nick pushes with his body, and then he's got his hands up, bracketing JC's head, flat on the cool wood as he bends in. He really really hopes he's not misinterpreting here, in the split second before their mouths meet, but JC opens for him gracefully and willingly. Fingers tug at his hair, and he loves that, and kisses deeper, licking inside, tasting, thinking this is the nicest present he's ever gotten in New York.

"Wait, wait," JC gasps, laughing, pulling away a little to open the door. "Easy, dawg, don't shock my neighbors, they're nice."

Nick feels predatory and hungry and all kinds of other things, though, and the moment the door closes behind them he's got JC up against the wall again, wrists pinned by his ears, kissing him like he'll never get enough. JC's moaning and twisting between his body and the wall, and Nick bends his knees, shoves forward, gets his cock lined up with JC's and just starts to rub. It's hard and sweaty and nasty and he loves it, loves this...

"FUCK." JC tears his mouth away from Nick's, pants, rests his head back against the wall for a second before coming back, nipping at Nick's throat with sharp teeth.

"Oh, fuck," Nick echoes weakly. So few chances to do this, not on tour, not with his life, but maybe waiting makes it better because suddenly he feels like he's on _fire._ Letting go of one hand, he scrabbles at his jeans, popping the fly and the zipper, then wrestling with JC's, shoving down boxer briefs until they're both bare.

"Nice," JC breathes, glancing down. "Later you gotta let me suck that."

Nick can't answer that in words, so he just moves back in, touching from knees to chest, finding the perfect place to rub in the hollow of JC's hip, hot and a little damp and just perfect. Their hips are moving together now, perfect rhythm, cocks bumping and sliding and slicking each other up, and he groans and drops his face to JC's shoulder, biting lightly and then harder, harder, as JC bucks and whines and shakes.

"More," he hears, and that breaks something in his brain. His hips drive frantically as he turns his head, licks then bites the cord of muscle on JC's neck, and the sudden shuddering wetness of JC's orgasm against his skin tips him over the edge. He comes with a shout, pleasure wracking through him, holding himself up against JC's body until they both start sliding down, ending up on the floor in a tangle of legs.

"Nice place you have here," he says after a long, breathless, silent pause, and JC giggles.

"How do you know? We never made it past the hall."

"I like the hall," Nick asserts. He's never sure what to do next...does he go? Should he stay? He really wants to try this again, maybe with fewer clothes on. Maybe with lube. But. "I mean, I'd like to see the rest of it too." He eyes JC sideways, watching for his reaction.

"Oh yeah, yeah, dude, definitely, totally." JC doesn't move, though, lying sprawled against the wall with an arm over his eyes. "Just give me a minute, I gotta remember how my bones work." He moves his arm just far enough to peek at Nick with one blue, blue eye. "You don't have to leave till tomorrow afternoon, right? So you're staying for breakfast?" He sounds hopeful, and Nick feels a smile spread across his face that, yeah, feels like it might freeze his face like that. He doesn't mind at all.

"Yeah," he says, rolling over, getting comfortable. "Breakfast sounds great."

**End.**  



End file.
